Amazon Spark curates an Instagram-like shopping feed

APD NEWS

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If you've ever found yourself wishing that Amazon would just advertise its products in a social media-like format that looks and functions a lot like Instagram with maybe a touch of Pinterest, then oh boy are you in luck. Amazon just launched a new feature called Spark and it's exactly that.

With Amazon Spark, users can select five or more interests, such as "Books," "Recipes" and "TV Bingewatching," and then be provided with a feed that includes product reviews and photos.

Anytime one of those photos has a product that can be purchased through Amazon, a shopping bag icon will sit in the bottom right corner of the image. Click it and you'll be sent to the product's page.

If you choose to contribute your own content to Spark, you'll be considered an "Enthusiast" and will get a badge once you post or write a product review. Spark users can also comment on others' posts and give it a "smile" if they so choose -- the Spark version of a Like or Favorite.

To start using Amazon Spark, click the "Programs & Features" option in the navigation menu. You'll then have to choose at least five interests, enter your name and decide if you want to receive notifications. There are a few limitations though.

First, you have to be an Amazon Prime member in order to contribute to Spark or interact with posts. Non-Prime members can create a feed, but they won't be able to post or comment.

Additionally, as of now, Spark is only available on iOS and to US customers only. If you meet those criteria, Amazon Spark is available to you today.

(ENGADGET)